QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 800,000 acres (in ME and NH)
- Trail Mileage: 5.4 miles one way
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy
- Sights: forests
I can’t quite figure out the point of the 5.4-mile Haystack Notch Trail, which cuts through part of the White Mountain National Park, between Caribou and Speckled mountains. It does not contain any vistas and there is no loop. It’s just a trail through a notch, a wooded and pretty notch for sure, but it can’t compete with the spectacular hikes all around, and consequently, I don’t think the trail is in the best condition. Someone kind and thoughtful had, in the fall of 2016, gone through and slipped orange tape along the trail, making it somewhat easy to follow. Without that, it would have been close to impossible.
There are some pretty streams, good mushrooms, and perhaps ecological interest to people who know more about forests than me.
By the way, I tried to hike from Haystack Notch to Miles Notch trail, but could not find the Miles Notch trailhead.
Directions: The trailhead is off Route 113, about six miles south of the junction with Route 2.
